Very few people get new windows because their house is too warm. Like true Canadians, we worry so much about beating the cold, that making our homes summer ready is almost an afterthought.
Yet this year, temperatures in Western Canada have already gone above twenty degrees, and it’s only a matter of time before you have to program the air conditioner just to sleep comfortably at night.
And although Canadians only spend about 20% of their annual HVAC energy use on cooling their homes, running the AC the whole summer can still add up.
For homeowners looking to not only improve the comfort in their home but reduce their energy bills as well, custom vinyl windows make the most sense. The great thing about technology that goes into modern windows is that the same features that keep your home warm in the winter maintain the cooler air inside in the summer.
Just replacing your windows can go a long way toward maintaining the wanted temperature in your home. If you think about it, a proper window installation essentially seals your home and makes it impermeable to outside air.
This really allows window components to do their job. Insulation, spacers, foam fills, and other standard parts are all designed with one thing in mind: to slow down the heat exchange between your house and the outside. So whether you want the cold air to stay inside in June or outside in January, vinyl windows work year round to keep the temperature you set.
Low-E coatings to balance the temperature in your home
One specific feature that is worth mentioning when you’re thinking about how windows can help keep your rooms cool, are Low-Emissivity coatings. We’ve written about how they work, and what they do for keeping UV radiation and heat out of your home. A lot of window companies now offer Low-E standard with their window package, so you already get the benefit of this feature. Low-E can also be a great way to keep the climate in your home more consistent, by adding more coatings to windows in rooms with a lot of natural light.
Energy efficient windows not only help keep your home warm in the winter. They also maintain the room temperature in the summer, meaning you don’t have to run air conditioning as much. But remember, regardless of how good the product is, energy efficiency is ultimately about how well it is installed. Qualified window installers will ensure that your windows are properly sealed and don’t leak air or allow drafts in.
Learn more about getting replacement windows:
Find out how much a new window project should cost
See our full line of vinyl window styles
Follow the replacement process in our visual INFOGRAPHIC